Recipe for family meals :

This recipe for Chicken and Wholemeal and Oat Chicken Pizza developed by This Morning nutritionist Jane Clarke has been reproduced courtesy of Great British Chicken

At the heart of the Great British Chicken message is a passion for the importance of buying British chicken as it assures the consumer of a certain standard whilst supporting UK produce. Its remit is to educate British consumers about the benefits of buying British chicken and how to identify it as such by looking for the Red Tractor and Union Jack on packs oc chicken or by asking their butcher. Great British Chicken wants people to be able to make an informed choice about the chicken they buy.

Chicken is the UK's favourite meat - it accounts for 43% of all the meat we eat in this country. This should come as no surprise: not only is chicken tasty, versatile and easy to prepare but it is also higher in protein and lower in fat than red meat, making it a nutritious, healthy choice that will tempt the whole family's tastebuds.

Sporting legend Sally Gunnell, who still holds the 400m hurdles world record, is a big fan of British chicken.

“As an athlete, it was essential to eat lots of fresh, good quality, nutritious foods and chicken was one of my staple ingredients. Not only is it lower in fat than red meat, it’s also higher in protein – which gives you energy.

“I’m not competing anymore – apart for fun – but I’ve maintained these healthy eating habits throughout my life and try to feed my husband and three young sons a balanced, nourishing diet.”

As a parent, and the daughter of a poultry farmer, Sally is passionate about knowing where her meat comes from, and supports local producers wherever possible.

“We eat chicken at least three times a week, and only British will do. I ask my butcher, or if I'm in the supermarket I always look for the Red Tractor and Union Jack. That way I know the chicken was produced to high standards and can be traced back to the British farm it cam from."

See the web site for further information - Great British Chicken

Love chicken . . . buy British
Choose chicken with the Red Tractor and Union Jack on pack and you'll know it was produced to high standards and can be traced back to the independently-checked British farm it came from. Or ask your butcher if it's British.

This recipe, developed by This Morning nutritionist Jane Clarke, combines wholegrains, oats and vegetables, which are great sources of fibre. Butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant that’s great for helping to reduce the impact of free radicals (an effect from too much sunshine) and this is a delicious way to keep yourself healthy. Don’t panic about making pizza dough, it’s easy. But if it seems too daunting just buy a ready-made pizza base and start the recipe from roasting the vegetables.

Ingredients for Wholemeal and Oat Chicken Pizza

For the pizza dough:
1/2 tablespoon dried yeast
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of caster sugar
175g plain wholemeal flour
25g rolled porridge oats
Dash of olive oil
4 fl oz lukewarm water

Topping:
1/2 butternut squash, cut lengthwise and seeds removed
Dash of olive oil
2 medium-sized leeks, well cleaned and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt
2 cooked British chicken breasts, skin removed

Method for Wholemeal and Oat Chicken Pizza

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

• To make the pizza dough, mix together the yeast, salt, sugar, flour and oats and place in a food processor. Mix the olive oil with the water and beat into the dry ingredients using a dough hook. Remove the dough from the food processor and knead it with your hands until the mixture is smooth and springy. This should take about 10 minutes. Grease a bowl with olive oil, place the dough in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm for about 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, roast the vegetables by placing the butternut squash, cut in half again but still with its skin on and place it on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place in the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, add the sliced leeks, garlic and, if necessary, a little more olive oil (be careful not to add too much as it can become greasy). Roast for another 20 minutes or until the leeks are golden and the butternut squash is lovely and soft.

• While the veggies are roasting, knock back the dough and leave to prove for a further 30 minutes, by which time it will be ready to roll.

• To finish off the topping, take the vegetables out from the oven, remove the squash from its skin and mash lightly with a fork. Season with some fresh ground black pepper.

• Preheat the grill to a medium/hot setting. Roll out the pizza dough to about 6mm thick and place it under the grill. Drizzle some olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with sea salt. When the dough is nicely toasted, flip it over and spread on the roasted squash, followed by the leeks and garlic, and finish with the shredded chicken. Pop back under the grill for another couple of minutes until the edges are golden and the ingredients are all sizzling.
  

Serves 1 - 2

Great British Chicken

Published with permission of Great British Chicken